Judge refuses to lower the boom on Mesaba unions

A bankruptcy judge gave unions a nearly unprecedented victory Thursday by preventing Mesaba Airlines from nullifying the labor contracts of its three largest unions. But his ruling doesn’t alter the core truth, unions say: Labor and management must negotiate new contracts or the airline doesn’t survive.

Gerdau workers pledge global solidarity

Some 440 union leaders representing 210 metalworker unions in Brazil unanimously passed a resolution condemning the “anti-dialogue and anti-union attitude” of Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau at its Canadian and U.S. operations, including its plant in St. Paul.